I Listen. I am rose, student and apprentice to all things good and green. I am an alchemist, herbalist and Medicine womyn. I seek the ancient wisdom and sacred Medicine. I am a keeper of the Earth. I Am. Peace.

I made time in my dispensary today. The room is still a shambles, but I cleared enough workspace to get at least a few balms made. When it comes to herbal balms, I use one jar or another for one thing or another every single day.

Today was for using up a 2007 preparation of infused oil of Symphytum uplandicum herba (comfrey leaf) before it began to show any signs of breaking down. It was still lovely and clear and so I mixed it with a bit of infused oil of Stellaria spp. (chickweed) and added a touch of lanolin and the bees wax. Once heated and well blended I waited for it to temper a bit before adding just a few drops of essential oil of Lavendula angustifolia.

At last the world around me seems to reflect the point we have reached on the Wheel of the Year. A soft white mantle of snow covers the Lady. Everything around us seems to be a sleep. Yet far above our heads he stirs, the Sun Child born again. The days begin to get longer and I raise my Glass in his honor...... This lovely little Spirit is made from Sky Spice Vodka, DisarronoAmaretto, milk and then garnished with whip cream and ground Cardamom and Ginger.

I'm just finishing up my quart of red clover infusion. I'll soon be bundling up to head outdoors to get a jump on the shoveling, but none to worry - I have that aromatic spice blend already brewing to warm me when I come back in.

That lumpy bowl you see is a plaster vessel I recently made (see here). The outside is speckled with calendula petals which I covered with a wash of yellow ochre and a glittering gold, and today I put a gloss glaze over it. It will serve as an offering bowl in my upcoming Yule honor. Ah, the power of working intuitively and trusting the song of the green voices!

So I put a wee bit of cardamom seed, cut cinnamon bark and 5 cloves together in a canning jar. I poured boiling water over them. They steeped. I poured and strained ...

... and warmed my cockles. Whatever those are.

I continued to pour boiling water over these hard botanicals all day long. They continued to steep and imbue their sweet and warming verve into my beverage all day ... and into the evening ... and into tomorrow. If you prefer, you can simmer these toothy herbs together over low heat to speed up the process and make a strong and vibrant brew in just 15-20 minutes.

I drink this infusion several times a week. Today I brewed it early and started sipping only minutes after the brew was poured. Then ... I added more boiling water and continued sipping throughout the day until the last was poured into the cup only moment ago.

A wide range of the nutritional gifts are ingested this way, methinks.

I've been enjoying more tea. A sit down relax cup o'tea. Some of my massage tea that cleanses after a good massage, And some of my nutri-tea. A blend with nettles, comfrey, hibiscus and rose petals among other things. I'm hoping to keep up the sipping slowly as my vacation ends tomorrow.And what are you sipping?

Well ... right now I'm sipping a brew of Cafe arabica (commonly called coffee) ... but that's not the point . . .

To you Listeners, I have a challenge: Offer a post from time to time with an herbal beverage that you are enjoying - with or without a photo. In this season of increasing cold, I know you all are sipping warm and nourishing and enjoyable beverages. In this season of celebration and festivities, I know that many of you are sipping warming and enjoyable herbal beverages of the spirited kind!

So share your sippers with us!

To Those Who Listen With Us: Post your comments and share your green-inspired beverages too!